In the past, paint mixers have been used to mix paint in containers of various sizes. Such prior art mixers have required manual adjustment of a clamping mechanism to properly secure the specific containers being agitated, without crushing or otherwise damaging the containers. Low clamping pressure could result in inadvertent release of the containers, possibly causing damage to the containers and the mixer, and excessive clamping pressure could result in damage or even destruction of the paint containers, with either improper condition potentially resulting in a paint spill at least requiring cleanup and possibly resulting in damage to the mixer and its environment.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a clamping system that automatically determines and provides a clamping pressure appropriate for the size of paint container placed in the mixer, without requiring a decision or selection by a human operator of the paint mixer.